Tamping apparatus



Sept. ll, 1945. 1 KALIX 2,384,469

TAMPING APPARATUS Filed July 50, 1945 4 Sheets-Sheet l John Kal/'x Sept. 1l, i945.

Fig o z J. KALlX TAMPING APPARATUS Filed July 30 1945 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Sept. H, 1945. J. KALlx 2,384,469

TAMPING APPARATUS Filed July 50, 1945 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 i sept. 11, 1945.

J. KALlx 2,384,469

TAMP I NG APPARATUS Filed July 3o, 1943 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Patented Sept. ll, 1945 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE TAMPING APPARATUS John Kalix, Dayton, Ohio Application July 30, 1943, Serial No. 496,690

6 Claims. ('Cl. 94-48) (Granted under the act of March 3, 1883, as amended April 30, 1928; 370 O. G. 757) The invention described herein may be manulectured and used by or for the Government for governmental purposes, without payment to me of any royalty thereon.

This invention relates generally to a soil compactor but more particularly to a soil tamping device adapted to be used for compacting earth surfaces to a' desired depth preparatory to the construction of highways, dams, fills, levees and the like.

One object of the invention is to provide a device of the class described in which novel means are provided for tamping the soil so as to effectively provide a compact surface layer of uniform density.

Another object of the invention is to provide a means for rapidly and inexpensively constructing highways capable of bearing heavy traffic.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a device of the class described which is of simple, rugged, and inexpensive construction, which may be easily attached to a tractor.

Other objects and advantages reside in details of design and construction including novel means for effecting the tamping of the soll, an improved sheeps foot construction and means for the attachment of the rollers to the tractor.

These features will be more fully disclosed in the following description and in the drawings wherein like parts have been designated by similar reference characters and in which:

Fig. l is a side elevation showing the earth tamper coupled to a tractor;

Fig. 2 is a. top plan view of the assembly shown in Fig. l;

Fig. 3 is a partially sectionized view of a rearward portion of the coupling device; Y

Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectionized view taken on the line 4 4 of Fig. 2 showing the interior of the rollers and the water connections to the sheeps feet;

Fig. 5 is a partially sectionized view taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 4. showing the axially mounted hammer and its operating mechanism;

Fig. 6 is a partially sectionized view of a portion of the hammer showing the roller lifting device in advanced position;

Fig. 7 is a partially sectionized view taken on the line I--l of Fig. 4 showing the water supply connections to the sheeps feet;

Fig. 8 is a view showing asection taken on the periphery of a roller as at 8-8 of Fig. 7, and illustrates the means of attachment of the sheeps feet;

Fig. 9 is a view showing a section taken on the periphery of a roller as at 9 9, Fig. 8, and illustrates the water connection to the sheeps feet;

Fig. 10 is a partially sectionized view taken centrally and longitudinally through the center of a roller having a modified form of tamper mechanism;

Fig. 1l is a partially sectionized view taken on the line II--II of Fig. 10 showing an assembly of the modified form of tamper mechanism;

Fig. 12 is a partially sectionized elevation showing in detail the construction of the coupling device, the section being taken on the line I2-I2 on Fig. 2;

Fig. 13 is a sectionized view of a modified form sheeps foot.

Briefly stated, the device comprises a roller adapted -to be pulled by a tractor preferably equipped as a bulldozer by the attachment of a pusher blade to the forward end thereof. The roller which is coupled to the tractor by means of a tension link is provided with an internal tamping device which causes it to compress the earth as the rollers pass over it.

In the drawings, reference character I0 denotes a tractor provided with track rollers Il,

' II', track I2, source of power I3, transmission pulleys I4 and I5, and transmission chain I6. 'Ihe tractor is also provided with a driversl seat Il, and steering and control apparatus, desig-` nated respectively by the numerals I8 and I9, a pusher blade 20, and a Water reservoir 2l, the latter being connected to the sheeps feet 22 of rollers 23, as will be further described.

To the tractor is coupled the tamper 24 which comprisesa group of ground rollers of like construction, each of which is designated by the numeral 23. These rollers encircle a shaft 26 which is mounted in a coupling yoke 28. The end rollers of the group are provided with spiders H0 which are axially connected to the shaft 26 and adapted to function as supports therefor as illustrated in Figs. 1, 2 and 4.

The coupling yoke 28 is formed with a central channel member 2S which serves as a spacer for upper and'lower C shaped parallelyoke members formed of channel bars 30 and 3U', between which and adjacent each end thereof are located v rectangular spacer members 3|, 32.

These rectangular members 3|, 32 function as spacers to which the channelsv 3B and 30 are attached and also function as abutments for spring support members 33 and 34. The spring support members are of tubular shape, the central opening therein providing for the passage of drag shafts 25 therethrough, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3.

These tubular spring retaining members 38 and 34 are provided respectively with a flange 85, 36. The tubular portion of the spring support members 33 and 34 fit within springs 31 and the flanges 35, 36 abut the ends of the springs and the rectangular members 3| and 32.

To one end of each of the drag shafts 25 are attached the nuts 38 and tothe other ends bracket members 21 which are formed with a tubular portion 4l for the reception of the roller shaft 28, and a downwardly extending flanged portion 42. 'I'he drag shafts 25 are provided with threaded ends on which are screwed the nuts 38 as mentioned above, to confine the springs 31 between the lmages oi' the tubular spring retaining members As the tractor pulls the rollers, the springs 31 are compressed to thus furnish a resilient con.- nection between the tractor and the rollers.

In order to brace the bracket members 21, they are riveted or otherwise suitably attached to gusset plates 46 which are provided with slots 6, and retained in slidable contact with the channel bars 30 by means of nuts 6'. With the forward movement of the tractor the yoke may move forward without movement of the coupling shafts 25 and brackets 21 until the springs 31 compress sulciently to overcome the load of the rollers.

In order to provide an angular adjustment for the hammer so that the direction of its blows on the roller may be controlled by the operator, the coupling yoke is provided with a centrally mounted vertically arranged worm 41 having an elongated shaft 48 provided with a hand-wheel 49 at its upper extremity. The worm engages a swivelly mounted coupling member 50 carried by brackets projecting from the rear oi the tractor I0. By turning the hand-Wheel the angularity of the hammer with respect to the surface of the ground may be either increased or decreased, since the non-rotatable shaft 26 is connected through bracket members 21' to the hammer.

On the under surface of the lower channels 30' of the coupling yoke 28 are mounted brackets 52 which pivotally support links 53, said links being pivotally connected to conilner members 54. Confiner members 54 are attached to the links 53 and are adapted to be pulled over the surface of the earth and to cut into the soil to outline the tamped area. The conflner members 54 have spaced openings 54' which register with an opening in the link 53 to receive bolt 55 for angular- 1y adjusting said members about pivot 53'.

The hammer 38 comprises a solid disc-shaped member, the lower portion of which is substantially semi-circular in contour and the upper portion of which is formed with a central narrow section terminating in an arc of the same diameter as the semi-circular portion. and sloping surfaces extending from the arc at the top of the narrow section which terminate at the ends of the semi-circular perimeter. The hammer is provided wth a central slotted opening 51 through which the shaft 26 passes and which permits of a reciprocating movement of the hammer as the drum rotates around it.

The reciprocating movement of the hammer with the rotation of the drum is effected by the combined action of a lower hammer roller 58 and upper projecting contact member 58 which engages the teeth 66 of a ratchet wheel 6i which is rotated with the drum 23 by means of the drag link 8. The semi-circular circumference of the hammer 38 is provided with a central sloping cam section 62 between which and the interior cir assures cumference of the drum or roller 23 the hammer roller 68 is located. 'I'he hammer roller 56 is rotatably mounted in a fork 63, the fork being provided with a central member or shaft 64 which vextends within a hollow opening 65 in the hammer. The central fork member or shaft 64 is encircled by a helical spring 66 which is attached to the extremity of said central member 64 by a nut 61. The spring abuts the nut 61 and the interior walls of the hollow opening 65 adjacent its narrow entrance 68.

As the roller 23, which encircles the hammer,

is pulled over the earth by the tractor, the hammer 38 is retained in its original upright position with respect to the ground by means of the bracket member 21 which engages .the laterally extending hammer pin 44, and with the turning of the ground roller 23 the hammer rolls upon the lower hammer roller 58and the upper hammer rollers 1 and 1', the latter rollers functioning to guide the ground roller 23 with the movement of shaft 26. By the action of the hammer roller 56 on the cam surface 62, the hammer 38 is elevated sulciently so that, when the ratchet teeth 66 of the wheel 6l engage the contact elevator member 58, itis raised sufficiently to allow the disengagement of the hammer roller which is returned to its initial position by means of the spring 66, and when the hammer has been elevated a sufficient distance the ratchet releases the hammer, whereby it drops upon the ham-mer roller and thus presses the ground roller against the earth. Thus the reciprocating movement of the hammer is effected in the following manner, first by its partial elevation by means of the wedging action of the hammer roller, and then the hammer is further elevated by the camming action of the ratchet wheel 6I which, after raising the hammer to its maximum height, allows it to-drop back onto the roller 58 again for a renewal of the cycle.

A modified form of roller is shown in Figs. 10 and ll. With this type of roller, tamplng of the earth is effected by the centrifugal action of rotating members within the roller.

In this modified construction, the roller 18 is not rotatably mounted on a shaft but is provided with laterally projecting trunnions 1I, 1I', which are rotatably mounted in bearings 12, 12' which are attached to the drag shafts 25 of the coupling yoke 28. (See Figs. 1 and l0.)

The trunnions are provided withfianges which are attached to the circular side walls 6, 6' of the roller or drum, the latter being attached to the circularly formed angles 13, 13 which are fastened to the internal periphery of the roller. The trunnions 1I, 1l' are each formed with an annular portion 14, 14', which projects from the flanges towards the center of the roller. On these annular projections 14, 14' are mounted external and internal bearings 15, 16' and 16, 16'. The internal bearings support the axle or shaft 11 of a centrally located disc 16 which rotates within the drum or earth roller, and which is weighted circumferentially by drilling the rim alternately on either side thereof within a quadrant of approximately as indicated by the numeral 16, and filling the drilled holes with lead or babbit.

The external bearings 15, 15 form the mounting for a pendulum 86 which is formed with lateral walls 8|, 8l' which have the contour of a sector of approximately 90. These side walls are united by an arcuate base 82 from which projects inner walls 63 and 84, similar in contour .to the outer walls and extending ln either side accesso of the disc 18 to divide the pendulum into a weighted portion 85 and a gear frame portion 86. In the weighted section the metal from which the pendulum is formed extends from the outer wall 8| to the inner wall 83 as illustrated in Fig. 10. Projecting from the outer wall 8l' is a trunnion on which is mounted a' pinion 88. This pinion 88 meshes with an internal gear 89 at-y tached to the interior wall of the drum or roller 19. Within the outer wall 8| and inner wall 84 are mounted bearings 90, 90' which support a shaft 9| on which are keyed the pinion 92 and gear 98. The pinion 82meshes with the pinion 88, and the gear 93 meshes with a pinion 94 which is keyed on shaft 95. On this shaft is also keyed a gear 96. The shaft 95 is held in bearings (not shown) which are mounted in the walls 8|' and 84. The gear 96 meshes with a pinion 91 which is keyed to the disc shaft 11. Thus power is transmitted from the rolling drum 10 to the disc 18 through the train of gears comprising the internal gear 89, pinion 88, pinion 92, gear 98, pinion 94, gear 96, and pinion 91 to the disc 18.

The rotation of the disc 18 which is weighted in a portion of its periphery causes a vibratory movement of the drum which effects a tamping of the earth as the roller passes over it. The pendulum has only a swinging motion with the starting and stopping of the roller, and functions as a safety device to prevent the stripping of gears in cases of a sudden stop or start of the roller. In such instances, the pendulum maybe swung out of its approximate vertical position or rotated without damaging Ithe gears.

The rollers of either the hammer type or the vibratori' type of tamping device are provided with sheeps feet throughwhich water may be supplied to the earth as the roller passes over it. The water is supplied from the reservoir 2l mounted on the tractor and is fed to shaft 26 through a tube 98. In the case of the hammer type of roller, tube 98 is connected to shaft 26 through a suitable water connection 99. For the vibratory type of roller, tube 98 is attached to shaft 26 through a water connection of the rotary In the hammer type of roller the water connection 99 is screwed into the end of the roller shaft 2t and connects with a central passage |00 through the shaft through which the water passes to a rotatable sleeve connection lill from which it is piped through tubes |92 to the sheeps feet 22 on the periphery of the roller 23. In the vibrator type of the roller the rotatable water connection 89 is attached to a trunnion 1| and connects to a central tubular passage |83 therein. This passageturns in a radial direction and is connected by a, tubular feed line |03 to the tubes me and llll' which encircle the inner periphery of the drum. and which connect to the sheeps feet 22, as shown in Fig. 10.

The sheeps feet are formed with release valves as shown in Figs. 8, 9 and 13. In the type shown in Figs. 8 and 9 the valve is formed with a spring pressed piston |65 which projects slightly beyond the extremity of the foot and-which has an enlarged beveled portion adapted to seat on a ledge its within the tubular valve passage |61 of the foot. On passing over the ground the pressure exerted on the piston opens the valves against the action of the spring |88 and allows water to pass through the tubular passage |01. As the pressure is removed from the piston |05 the valve is closed by the spring and the passage of water cut on'. With this, construction water is only allowed to pass through the valves when they are in contact with the earth.

A modied form of' valve is shown in Fig. 13. v

In this type of valve the spring |88 is exterior to the tubular passage through the foot and the valve piston does not contact the earth but is operated by a pivotally mounted compression member |09, which is arcuate in form and which also functions to enclose the piston so that par-ticles of soil will not enter the valve passage and prevent the o1 tration of the valve.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and wish to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A mobile tamping device adapted to be coupled to a tractor having a water supply reservoir, said device comprising a coupling yoke, a nonrotatable shaft supported by said yoke, tubular ground rollers encircling said shaft, pressure controlled water distributing sheeps feet mounted on said ground rollers. conduits connecting said sheeps feet to said reservoir, ratchet wheels rotatably mounted on said shaft within said ground rollers, links connecting said ratchet wheels to said ground rollers to eiIect simultaneous rotation therewith, a hammer roller mounted within each of said ground rollers, hammers provided with lower cam surfaces and laterally extending ratchet contact members mounted for reciprocatory movement upon said shaft within said ground rollers and adapted to respectively engage said hammer rollers and said ratchets to effect the elevation and release of said hammers to produce reciprocatory movement thereof with the rotation of said ground rollers.

2. A mobile tamping device adapted to be coupled to a tractor provided with a water supply reservoir, said device comprising a coupling yoke, a non-rotatable tubular shaft supported by said yoke, ground rollers encircling said shaft, water ldistributing shleeps feet projecting from said ground rollers, conduits through said shaft connecting said sheeps feet to said reservoir, pressure operated release valves connected with said sheeps feet, ratchet wheels rotatably mounted on said shaft within said ground rollers, a hammer roller mounted within each of said ground rollers, links connecting said ratchet wheels to said ground rollers to effect simultaneous rotation therewith, hammers provided with lower cam surfaces and laterally extending ratchet contact members mounted for reciprocatory movement upon said shaft within said ground rollers and adapted to respectively engage said hammer rollers and said ratchets to eect the elevation and release of said hammers to produce reciprocatory movement thereof with the rotation of said ground rollers.

3. A mobile tamping device adapted to be coupled to a tractor, said device comprising a coupling yoke, a ground roller rotatably mounted in said yoke, a weighted disc and a pendulum concentrically mounted for rotation and oscillation within said roller, and transmission means associated with the pendulum, the roller, and the disc, to effect the transmission of rotation of said roller to said weighted disc and thereby produce -vibration thereof with a consequent tamping eiect of the roller.

4. A mobile tamping device adapted to be coupled to a tractor, said device comprising a coupling yoke, a tubular-shaped ground roller rotatably mounted in said yoke, a weighted disc having a central shaft. and a pendulum wncentrical ly mounted respectively for rotation and oscillation within said roller, a pinion keyed to said central shaft, an internal gear attached to the inner wall of said roller, and a gear train rotatably mounted within said pendulum and meshing with said internal gear and said central shaft pinion to transmit rotation of said roller to said weighted disc to thereby eifect the vibration of said roller.

5. A mobile tamping device adapted to be coupled to a tractor provided with a water supply reservoir, said device comprising a coupling yoke, a tubular ground roller rotatably mounted in said yoke, water distributing sheeps feet projecting from said ground roller and through conduits to said reservoir, a weighted disc havinga central shaft, and a pendulum concentrlcally mounted respectively for rotation and oscillation within said roller, a pinion keyed to said central shaft, an internal gear attached to the inner wall of said roller and a gear train rotatably mounted within said pendulum and meshing with said inasegura tema] gear and said central shaft pinion to transmit rotation o1' said roller to said weighted disc to thereby eifect the vibration of said roller.

6. A mobile tamping device adapted to be coupled to a tractor, said device comprising a coupling yoke, a non-.rotatable shaft supported by said yoke, tubular ground rollers encircling said shaft, ratchet wheels rotatably mounted on said shaft within said ground rollers. links connecting said ratchet wheels to said ground rollers to eifect simultaneous rotation therewith, hammers provided with a. lower cam surface and a laterally extending ratchet contact member mounted for reciprocatory movement Within said ground rollers, upper and lower hammer rollers mounted on said hammers, said lower hammer rollers and said ratchet contact members adapted respectively to engage said cam surfaces and said ratchets to effect the elevation and release of said hammers to produce reciprocatory movement thereof within said ground rollers.

JOHN KALIX. 

